The clone jet troopers as well as the anti-troopers during the Kamino uprising all utilized modified DC-17 commando pistols as a personal side-arm weapon. During the raid on Grievous's castle, Clone commander Fil utilized DC-17 pistols. When inside the castle, a trap door opened beneath them. Though the other clone fell to his doom, Fil fired a cable from his DC-17 pistol and with the help of Nahdar Vebb and Kit Fisto, he was hoisted to safety. During the Battle of Muunilinst, ARC trooper Captain Fordo used twin customized DC-17 pistols while leading his forces against San Hill's forces.

The DC-17 blaster pistol should not be confused with the DC-17m Interchangeable Weapon System, though it did share its designation with the larger weapon for a reason—they shared many of their interior components, a fact which helped explain the DC-17 hand blaster's unusually high stopping power and firing rate. This fact was widely appreciated by the users of the weapon, who tended to know them inside and out as part of their training. As a result, ARCs in particular tended to look down on uninformed people who puzzled over the similarity of the naming for two such apparently different weapons. High ranking ARC officers sometimes customized their DC-17s by writing on them or adding attachments such as revolving system or even a scope.

The DC-17 pistol also had a stun setting as shown when CC-3636 stunned Ahsoka Tano.[1]